DHL Western Province coach John Dobson praised the character his team showed to pick up their third consecutive victory of the season.
DHL Western Province coach John Dobson praised the character his team showed to pick up their third consecutive victory of the season.
A late penalty from Grant Hermanus was enough to secure a tense 27-24 victory against the Xerox Golden Lions XV at DHL Newlands, which continued DHL Western Province’s unbeaten start to the season.
Dobson was encouraged by the dominance his side showed in the first half to establish a 17-3 lead at the half-time break, but somewhat disappointed with the way they let the visitors back into the game.
“We were obviously pleased to win the game as we felt it was a very strong Xerox Golden Lions XV side.
“I was happy with our attack in the first half and the progress we are making there, which of course goes hand in glove with the breakdown which was the most dynamic it has been this season.
“I was disappointed with our discipline, especially in the second half. If you concede 16 penalties in a game and nine in a half then you are going to struggle to win and was instrumental in the Xerox Golden Lions XV coming back from that deficit,” he said.
However, he was satisfied with the character his team showed to claim a hard-fought win in the end.
“I was pleased with the character we showed and thrilled that we got away with a win when it appeared we may have messed it up,” he said.
The next challenge for Dobson’s charges will be a trip to Durban to face the Sharks XV, and they will have to do so without the services of loose forward Tertius Daniller.
We have had three very hard games to start and another one this week against the Sharks. We were sorry to lose our second No.8 in two weeks, Tertius Daniller, to a serious knee injury but luckily we have built some depth,” said Dobson.